Moaning
by AdmHawthorne
Summary: Jane walks in on a private moment of Maura's and has problems letting it go. Rizzles
1. Chapter 1

**Characters aren't mine. They belong to the wonderful Tess Gerritsen along with Janet Tamaro, TNT, Warner Brothers, and other assorted peopled who are much more important than me.**

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><p>Jane was obsessing. She had tried everything she could think of to stop, but everything just seemed to make it worse. At first, it had been a mild curiosity. Now it was growing into a desire to know, and the worst part was she wasn't certain she really <em>wanted<em> to know. The problem was, whether she wanted to know or not, her nature was to find answers to questions, and her nature wouldn't leave her alone.

That was the excuse she was giving herself as she paced outside Maura's house, key in hand. Since Angela had moved into the guest house, every Rizzoli except Frank Senior had a house key. When she realized that was the case, Jane had asked her best friend if she was sure that was a good idea. The Rizzoli clan isn't known for the respect of personal space or privacy, but Maura had assured her it was fine.

Maura was wrong. It wasn't fine. The last time Jane had used her key to go through the house to the guest house in the back, she'd heard something that she can't stop thinking about. She was thinking about it as she paced outside the house. She thought about it at work. She thought about it when she was at the game. She thought about it when she was with her family. She thought about it when she was having drinks at The Robber with the guys. She thought about it a lot when she was at home, alone, drinking her reserve of whiskey.

What she had heard was Maura. Specifically, she had heard a moan echo down the quiet hallway of Maura's house as she entered it to make her way to the back to see her mother. The detective's first instinct was to stop and listen to make sure that everything was fine and she wasn't hearing things. But another moan had confirmed she had heard _something_. In that instant, Jane had known two things. The first was that she had walked into the middle of both a personal and very private moment for her best friend, and the second was that her best friend was moaning out a name that sounded suspiciously like _"Jane"_, but the dark haired woman had taken off at a trot to the back door before she could confirm that was, in fact, what she was hearing.

If she _had_ heard the gasping moan correctly, that would make things very awkward. If she hadn't heard Maura correctly, then things would be fine, and Jane wouldn't have to deal with it. But Jane wasn't certain what she heard. _Had_ she heard Maura moaning her name? _Had_ she heard Maura moaning something like "Jake"? Did it matter? Of course not because Jane didn't want to know.

That was two weeks ago.

Jane was still thinking about it.

She wanted to know, and she had no idea why she wanted to know, but the wanting to know was driving her crazy. In an effort to shake it off, she had tried to ignore it, but the memory would pop into her mind at the worst of times, like during autopsies and family dinner night. After a few days, she realized it was a losing battle against herself. She wanted to know, but the why behind her need to know was still a mystery to her.

There were only a handful of options on the table. Jane could actually stop obsessing about it and move on, ask Maura (which could only end badly, she was sure), or keep doing what she's doing (which meant she was going to eventually drive herself insane). None of those options were very appealing to her, but she had to do something. She was starting to dream about it.

The dreams were getting more graphic.

The detective was surprised to say she was starting to really enjoy them.

She paced for a few more moments before gathering her reserves, pushing the key into the lock, and opening the door. In something vaguely déjà vu like, the house was just as peacefully quiet as it had been on The Day, as she'd come to call it in her mind.

Eyes wild, breathing coming fast, she glanced around as she closed the door and locked it behind her. Maura's car was in the garage, and no one else besides Angela was here as far as the detective could tell. Horror and a small thrill raced through her body as she heard Maura call out her name again.

_Again._ There was little question that her best friend was saying her name. Jane's back straightened, and a line of perspiration started along her hairline. Despite the comfortable temperature, she was suddenly hot, mouth dry. What was she going to do?

She took a moment to do a little mental inventory. Her mother wasn't expecting her. She had just decided to come over because she knew Angela got lonely easily, which meant Angela wouldn't be calling her to ask where she was and why it was taking her so long to get there. She had parked her own car in the garage beside Maura's, which meant that Frankie wouldn't bother to stop in to try to sweet talk her best friend because he didn't want his big sister to kill him. Tommy was at work until tomorrow because he had an overnight shift. Both she and Maura were off duty, which meant no sudden work calls to force them to run off to a crime scene. Jo was here with Angela because the elder Rizzoli woman had insisted her grandpup needed space to run around and the backyard at Maura's house was perfect for that.

There was nowhere Jane was expected or had to be. Another moan, louder than the rest echoed down the hallway and solidified the detective's decision. Taking off her coat and quietly hanging it in the closet, she gave a gasp as she heard a primal grunt come from the direction of the master bedroom. She wiped at her face, walked to the kitchen, poured a glass of tea, and settled on a barstool at the kitchen island to quietly wait.


	2. Chapter 2

"Jane!" Maura squeaked as she stepped into the kitchen area, hand going to her robe to hold it shut. "What are you doing here?"

Finishing her second glass of tea, Jane ran her eyes over the honey brunette. "Even your bedhead is like something out of a fashion magazine. What's your secret, Maura? Do you have a hairstylist stashed under your bed or something?" She shook the glass, rattling the ice. "I'm out of tea. You want a glass of water?" She stood as she spoke, making her way to the refrigerator.

"I... yes, please?" Giving herself a small shake, Maura tried to pull herself together. She quickly tied her robe, ran a hand through her hair, and took in a deep breath. "No, no I don't."

"Thought you couldn't lie," Jane deadpanned as she finished pouring the tea, letting the fridge door close behind her.

"I can't. I changed my mind." The doctor sighed. "How long have you been here?"

Holding up the glass for display, the reply was laced with amusement, "Glass number three, and one trip to the john already."

"Oh, God," Maura ran a hand over her face. "That long?"

"Yeah, that long." Jane sat her tea glass on the counter, grabbed a fresh glass, and filled it was water. "Here," she said gently as she held it toward the honey brunette, "your voice is starting to sound like mine. Water'll help with the scratchy sound. You know, yelling like that's not good for your vocal cords, doc." A wicked grin was playing on her features

Despite her supreme embarrassment and annoyance, Maura took the offered glass. She sipped at the water for a moment as a blush settled on her features. After gathering her thoughts, she asked, "You're not angry or upset or offended?"

"Well, I was freaked out. I'm not going to lie." Jane leaned against the cabinet, watching the other woman. "See, I walked in on you about two weeks ago, and I _thought_ I heard you then, but I wasn't sure. Ma was expecting me, and I just sort of took off running to the back door."

"Oh." Wincing, Maura set her now empty glass on the island beside her before wrapping her arms around herself.

"I was just going to try to forget it because, honestly, I couldn't really make it out. I heard moaning and a name that sort of sounded like mine but could have been Jake or Jack or whatever. I was out the backdoor too fast to get anything clarified. Problem is, I couldn't stop thinking about it even though," Jane rolled her eyes, "I really wanted to because it's none of my business. Then I come here today to see Ma, and it happened again. This time, though, you were a little more," she shrugged, "articulate."

"I don't really know what to say in this situation." Hazel eyes fell to the ground. "I think the proper response would be for me to be angry with you for invading my privacy, but you did warn me it might happen with any of you, and I assured you it would be fine, so being angry with you for what is essentially an accident seems wrong. However, you staying to ambush me in my kitchen seems equally wrong, though it is typical of how you behave." Maura gave a small shake of her head. "The only thing I can think to say is that I'm sorry." She closed her eyes, "And I wonder what we'll do now."

"That's a good question." Jane pushed off from the counter. "_I_ am going to the guest bathroom to pee again. Too much coffee and tea. Then, I'm going to the guest bedroom to dig around for the clothes I keep stashed there and change. I've been in work clothes all day long, and the smell of Korsak's cheap cologne is starting to make me a little sick, so I'll probably take a shower while I'm at it. _You_ look like you could use a shower, by the way. You're a little sweaty." She smirked. Maura gave her a hard look. "Then, _we_ are going to lock the doors to keep the Rizzoli clan out and really talk now that you know I know. How's that for a plan?"

"Reasonable." Maura hesitated for a beat. "You're not angry?"

"No, I'm hungry and smell like Brut. I'm going to run out to my car to grab my overnight bag. Then I'm sticking with the plan. We good?" Jane walked to the front door as she spoke.

"For now," the doctor called back, voice quiet and guarded.


	3. Chapter 3

"I thought you might like some dinner," Maura said as she looked up from the pan she was tending on the stovetop. "Stir fry?"

"Smells great," Jane walked over to look down. "Tofu? Really? I think you're trying to turn me vegetarian."

"It's good for you, and you've never complained about how my food tastes," the cook shot back, giving the taller woman a small push in the side with her elbow. "Is that a new shower gel?"

"Sort of. Frankie's going to be pissed when he opens his bag and finds Olay in it. Looks like we switched bags. No idea how that happened. So it's Axe, but I think I sort of like it." Jane shrugged. "I'm just glad I don't smell like Brut anymore. Ever since you told Korsak that Ma has a thing for badges, he's been bathing in the stuff. I owe you for that, by the way."

"Angela deserves to be happy, and so does Korsak. I think they make a cute couple. Also," Maura added as an aside as she plated the stir fry, "I like that scent of Axe better on you than on Frankie. You should keep it."

Smirk firmly in place, Jane said lightly, "I think I will," before refilling their glasses and following Maura to the table.

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><p>They ate in silence for a time, the awkwardness building back up in the room. It was Jane who finally rebroke the ice. "I hate that Tommy flirts with you and you flirt back."<p>

Without a word, Maura stood, walked to the front door, bolted the inside lock, and then did the same to the back door before returning to her seat at the table. "It's innocent, Jane, but I know it annoys you."

With a growl, the dark haired brunette shot back, "Then why do you do it?"

"Because I like to see your possessiveness. It's," tilting her head to the side, Maura thought for the right word. She decided to redirect. "Jane, how open and candid are we being here?"

"Maura, I walked into the house twice in as many weeks to hear you in a pretty private moment moaning my name, and I'm sitting here eating a dinner you cooked for us and talking to you as if this is old hat. I'd say we're going with 100% open." Jane finished the last of her stir fry, picked up the bowls, and took them to the sink to clean them.

"Then I need to ask you something before we go any further, and I think it's only fair that you answer me honestly," turning in her seat, the doctor watched Jane's back stiffen as she cleaned the dishes. At the nod yes, she continued on. Quietly and with uncertainty lacing her voice, Maura asked, "Do you call my name out as I do yours?"

Jane stopped washing dishes for a moment, started up again, finished, and turned back around to show a deep, dark blush on her face. "Over the past few weeks," she started, voice tight with a mixture of embarrassment and determination, "now that I've thought about it as a possibility, I've started to… well… I have these dreams." She gave a sigh. "Yes."

"That changes the nature of the question, doesn't it?" Maura stood, walking over to the taller woman. "What are we going to do now?"

Averting her eyes, Jane answered meekly, "Go to Disney?"

"Jane."

"Maura, I don't know, okay? I didn't even figure out why I was so obsessed with knowing what name you were calling out until about three days ago when I had one hell of a dream and woke so… well… God!" The detective looked up, taking a moment.

Maura stopped a foot or so in front of her friend. "Are you angry?"

"Yes. I'm angry at myself, and I want to punch Tommy and Frankie in the balls," Jane shot back, dark eyes fixing on the hazel ones watching her intently.

Confusion and panic raced across the doctor's face. "Why would you do that? I don't…"

"Because they've been hitting on you, and, frankly Maura, I'm pretty sure I've been thinking of you as my girlfriend for about a year now, and they're trying to cut in on my territory, which just pisses me off, and it pisses me off even more that I couldn't figure out _why_ I've been pissed off at them for hitting on you. I'm a freaking detective. I do this shit for a living, but I couldn't figure out I had a thing for my best friend. Really? God, that's just _so_ lame and _so_ stereotypical."

"I didn't know you considered me a piece of property," Maura replied, though she was clearly teasing as she spoke. Jane simply glared at her, so she continued. "Are you saying that you consider us to be dating?"

"Well, no. I mean, yes… sort of? A lot of what we do is sort of like dating. You know what I mean? I just… okay, this isn't going well. Maura," Jane stood up straighter, squaring her shoulders as she looked down at the woman in front of her. "I suck at this girly, emotional crap, so let me just… okay," she took in a deep breath. "I can't promise I won't freak out, and I can't promise things will go smoothly because you know I don't really think things through before I do them. I've never done this kind of thing before, and I think it's safe to say that it would be weird for a little bit until everyone adjusted or disowned us or whatever it is they're going to do. But, now that I know, now that I've finally figured it out, I… I just… You up for giving this a try?"

Narrowing her eyes and tilting her head to the side, Maura asked, "You mean officially date you?"

"Yeah, that's what I mean. Do you want to try dating me?" Jane flushed. "I can't believe I just said that."

"Neither can I," the smaller woman chewed at her bottom lip, thinking. "How long have you been considering dating me in a romantic capacity?"

"If I were honest with myself? Months. But, if you don't want to… I mean, if it's just one of those things where it's a fantasy but not really something you want…"

"Jane, I want to date you. I have for some time now. I just didn't think you were open to the idea. What changed your mind?"

"My mind changed my mind." At Maura's hard look, the lanky woman explained, "I've been thinking about this, despite myself, for two weeks now. I'm a detective, I habitually piece clues together. It's a thing, you know? So I started piecing things together."

She began to tick things off as spoke, the words tumbling out in an atypical cascade of thought. "I came to your place when Hoyt's apprentice was after me because your place felt safer than my own even though my family was at my place. I went to you, in super date clothes with a bottle of wine, after Ma tried to set me up with Grant. I called you to come over when I had that weird thing with the flowers in my kitchen that time with the creepy exorcism case. I was straight up jealous of Garret; I'm adult enough now to admit that. I was totally ogling you that night you did the undercover work at The Merch. Doyle called me to tell me to protect you. You were the one that stayed with me and forced me out of my funk after I shot myself. I still think about how you felt in my arms when were faking it to get Giovanni off your back. I stood up to your mother, twice, because she was hurting you, and I didn't like it. I was straight up jealous of Ian, too. Hoyt," Jane's voice cracked, but she pushed on, "went after you first, and the fact he was hurting _you_, not that he had _me,_ was really what motivated me to save us both." She held a hand up to stop the other woman from responding. "You've brought my family into your home. We don't only sleep but cuddle together. I mean, I really don't know how I went this long without seeing it. Dense I guess."

"Or frightened?" Maura quietly offered.

Jane nodded, "Yeah, that too."

"Will you run if I make a first move on anything?" Maura stepped cautiously forward.

"I'll try not to. I didn't bolt this time when I heard you moaning," Jane swallowed hard, her mind flashing back to the memory.

"No, you didn't." Closing the distance, Maura reached out to place a hand on the back of Jane's neck. "What about now? Do you feel comfortable with this?"

"No, not at all. I'm completely freaking out, but I think that's just how it's going to be for a while," the taller woman leaned down, "I'll get over it if you'll just bear with me, okay?"

"I believe I can do that," the doctor nodded, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Thank you," came the husky reply before Jane placed a kiss on Maura's waiting lips. "Hold on," Jane said as she pulled away, resituating them so she could get a better hold on the smaller woman, "I can do better," she whispered as she went in for another kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

"I…uh… I'm normally not this easy," Jane muttered as she settled against Maura's shoulder, smiling as the doctor wrapped her arm around her and began running patterns across her back.

"Well," Maura said, voice light, "the argument could be made that we've been dating for months. So, really, that would make you hard to get, wouldn't it?"

"Only if you were trying to get in my pants that whole time," Jane chuckled, pulling the bed sheet up over the two of them.

"Not directly, no." With a smile, Maura kissed the top of dark brunette hair before her. "Was this too fast?"

"Well, let me think," the detective said, as she wrapped her arm across the smaller woman's waist, enjoying the feel of skin-to-skin contact across her body. "We went from cautiously admitting we both had a thing for each other to in bed with each other in less than," she checked the clock, "five hours. I could see where some might argue that it was fast."

"Technically, it was less than 2 hours. We've been in bed for the past three," Maura corrected.

"Best three hours of my life," Jane mumbled as she tried to stifle a yawn.

Maura batted at the other woman with her free hand. "Jane, I'm serious. Is this too fast for you?"

"No, not this time. You know I don't do one night stands, and you know I don't normally sleep on first dates, but I don't really see either of those applying here, honestly. The only thing that surprised me tonight was how natural it was. I mean, I've never been with a woman before. I was pretty sure it was going to be awkward, but it wasn't."

"No, it wasn't," the doctor agreed, not bothering to stifle her own yawn. "How long do you want to wait to tell people?"

Jane grunted. "With this family, it won't take long before they know even if we don't tell them. But I'd like to keep it to ourselves for at least a couple of weeks if we can. Would you be okay with that?"

"Yes, and I like that plan. But, if someone asks me…"

"Tell them truth like I know you will. I'm not ashamed of us, Maura, and, even though I'm going to freak out, I'm not going to run away. If this is going to work, then I need to learn how to handle how people react. I don't like the idea of living in the closet. You have way too many shoes in there."

"You like my shoes."

"Yeah, beside my bed with the rest of your clothes," Jane shot back.

Maura chuckled, "Funny, I feel the same way about yours," she said as she glanced down at the pile on the floor beside her bed. "If you're sure you'll be able to handle me being completely honest, then I will. You should know I am not ashamed of you either, and I'm glad you don't want to keep this hidden. I think it would be difficult."

"I do, too. My life's hard enough without making it worse by making my relationship with my girlfriend more complicated than it really has to be." She kissed the exposed skin by her lips. "Sleep now, deal with Ma and Tommy tomorrow?"

"Yes, that's a good plan," Maura reached over to turn the lamp off beside her bed. "Good night, Jane."

"Good night, Maura. Stop messing with me or we're not going to sleep any time soon."

"That was my plan."

"Good plan."

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it. I appreciate your reviews, as always.<strong>


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